No, donations to the The Gift Trust is non-refundable and cannot be returned, as this is what enables you to get a tax credit for your donations. Funds can only be withdrawn through gifts to charitable causes.

You can recommend gifts from a Gift Account to any charitable entity, as long as it meets our due diligence requirements, or has a fundholder that does. This includes:

• New Zealand registered charities
• International charities that meet our due diligence requirements
• Other entities, in New Zealand or overseas, that have equivalent legal requirements to a registered charity
• Individual recipients of fairly-determined scholarships

Our capacity to make international gifts is limited, so please get in touch to discuss your wishes.

We cannot make gifts for any of the following purposes:

• Activities that are illegal in New Zealand, violate our Trust Deed, or (in our opinion) would harm our reputation were we to fund them
• Advocacy (including political activity), except in accordance with New Zealand laws and regulations
• Any purpose that (in our opinion) directly or indirectly supports or enables hate speech or hateful activities
• Any purpose that would result in private benefit to the donor of the funds, or to the person making the gift request, or to any person or entity related to the donor or requesting person, unless allowed by New Zealand law

Gift Accounts will save you time and money over setting up your own foundation. They are a flexible giving tool for individuals, families, and businesses, that wish to actively participate in grantmaking without the administrative burden of a stand-alone foundation or trust.

A Gift Account is fast to set up. We already have registered charitable status, so you don’t need to go through the expense of writing up trust deeds, talking with lawyers and registering with Charities Services. Foundations also often require considerable ongoing costs.

To remain active, a Gift Account must receive at least $1000 NZD in donations in its first three months, and then again in each financial year. You can make this initial donation when you open the account, or if your Gift Account is public, your community can donate. If a Gift Account’s balance is at least $20,000 NZD at the end of a financial year, the requirement for new donations is waived for that financial year.

Fees vary depending on a Gift Account’s size and activity, but can be as low as 0.5% p.a. See our fee schedule for more information.

Yes, either with a lump-sum when you open your Gift Account, a recurring donation, or a mix of both – it’s up to you. If you make your Gift Account public, your community can add funds to your balance as well.

You do, by making gift requests to us. Simply specify the charity and/or purpose you’d like to support, and how much and how often you’d like to give. Unless the gift is for a prohibited purpose (for example, it’s not charitable), we’ll fulfil your request. If for some reason we can’t fulfil your request, we’ll work with you to find an alternative that aligns with your giving strategy.

We can also provide expert advice and research, if you know what you care about, but not what to do about it. We can help you define your giving strategy and find charities that align with it.

No, there’s no need to request a gift each year if you don’t want to. If we haven’t received any requests from you after three years, we’ll get in touch.

If you don’t make any requests after three years, and we don’t hear back from you, we’ll endeavour to make grants from your Gift Account that align with what we know you care about.

Donations to The Gift Trust are eligible for donation tax credits in New Zealand. Depending on your preference, you will either receive a receipt for each donation you make, or a combined receipt at the end of each year. For information about claiming your tax credit, please consult the Inland Revenue website, or seek independent professional advice.

Yes, as long as the charity meets our due diligence requirements, and the gift fits within our international capacity. (As an IRD approved donee organisation, no more than 25% of our expenditure in any one year can be international.) If you wish to make international gifts, please get in touch with us.

Please see our Charities page for more information.

Yes, we can – please see our US donors page for more information.